


a dark world aches for a splash of the sun

by CherriesAndRaindrops



Category: Something Rotten! - Kirkpatrick/Kirkpatrick/O'Farrell
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Neurodivergent Portia Brooks, Sensory Overload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28543632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherriesAndRaindrops/pseuds/CherriesAndRaindrops
Summary: title inspiration: cough syrup by young the giant.this has been sitting in my drafts for a long time. i kinda rushed through this because i wanted to get this off my mind so i can focus more on my original projects, so if it’s bad, then that’s why.anyways portia’s not neurotypical.
Relationships: William Shakespeare & Portia Brooks (Something Rotten!)
Kudos: 4





	a dark world aches for a splash of the sun

**Author's Note:**

> title inspiration: cough syrup by young the giant.
> 
> this has been sitting in my drafts for a long time. i kinda rushed through this because i wanted to get this off my mind so i can focus more on my original projects, so if it’s bad, then that’s why.  
> anyways portia’s not neurotypical.

Today, Portia was going to see the world premiere of Will’s latest play, Romeo And Juliet.

Just thinking about it made her rock back and fourth with excitement. She could barely sit still for a whole month due to the elation the thoughts about the performance racing through her head were giving her. She’d dreamed of going out and seeing plays for as long as she could remember, and tonight, that dream was finally going to come true.

Will was just as excited, but also a bit nervous as well. He wanted the play to be perfect, not just for the audience that would be watching it, but also for Portia. It was gonna be the first play she’d see, and he wanted it to be the best one, too.

He had spent months attending 3-8 hour rehearsals, forcing the actors to do the same scenes over and over again so their portrayals would be perfect, rewriting those same scenes at home so they would be exactly how he envisioned them, arguing with the set designers because they missed a tiny detail that was crucial to his vision, and many other tasks that were just as overwhelming to him as they were to the other people involved in the production.

Well, all that hard work was gonna be showcased tonight, and he hoped to god that it would pay off.

—

There was a knock at the bard’s bedroom door.

”Will! I’m ready!”

”Give me a minute, Portia!” He responded, buttoning up the shiny yellow buttons on his shirt. He was quite proud of the outfit he had chosen for the night’s occasion. It included a long hot pink coat, along with matching pants, a black undershirt, a golden chain that hung from his neck, pale lavender leggings, and black heels.

After he finished buttoning up, he scurried to his door and swung it open, letting out a quiet, amazed gasp.

Portia was standing there, smiling shyly. She was wearing the dress Will had designed and had one of the finest tailors in London make specifically for her. It was a posh little thing, being pale blue with a floral design, having large, light pink roses scattered all over it. As for final touches, it had petal-like ruffles on the ends of the sleeves and the heim.

“So,” She asked, shrugging. “How do I look?”

”As cute as a button, darling!” Will exclaimed. “Now, is the carriage here yet?”

”Mhm! It’s been waiting outside the front door for a few minutes.”

”Oh dear, you should’ve told me earlier.” He sighed in a distressed tone, grabbing Portia’s hand and dashing down the hallway.

For some odd reason, she felt just a tiny bit hurt by that, whether Will meant to make her feel bad or not. It just felt like it was said to make her feel like she did something wrong.

They made their ways down the stairs, and eventually out the two massive doors and into the carriage.

”Sorry that we’re a bit late,” Will apologized to the driver as he plopped down on the right side of the long, moss green seat. “My little friend here’s a bit... absent-minded.”

Now that’s what made Portia feel like she had been punched in the gut.

Why was Will being so mean to her all of a sudden? Did she say or do something wrong? Was he just in a bad mood? Or did he finally realize she was just a little nuisance and didn’t want anything to do with her anymore?

She thought of a lot more hypothetical explanations as the carriage made it’s way through the busy streets of London, heading straight for the Globe Theatre.

Whether Will hated her or not, she was definitely not gonna let him ruin her night.

—

”You’re doing it all wrong, Edward! You have to deliver this line with passion, and you sound duller than a broken quill!”

Portia watched with admiration from a booth as Will lectured the dashing man playing Mercuito on how to deliver his lines. She dreamed of being a playwright, but being a play director sounded just as fun.

The bard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, from the top!” He declared, clapping his hands and walking down one of the aisles.

The girl looked on in awe as the cast redid the scene. Everything about the stage, from the set to the rehearsal happening down below her, was nothing short of a sight to behold. She had never imagined that watching a performance would be so mesmerizing.

“So what do you think?”

”I love it, Will!” She exclaimed, turning to her guardian.

Will could see something in Portia’s cheerful hazel eyes.

They shined brighter than the stars, and they twinkled like never before.

They were filled with joy, and if Portia was joyful, then he was, too.

He smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

—

About an hour later, the official performance started, and the first act went off without a hitch.

For an hour and a half, Portia sat next to Will in the little booth above the stage, clutching onto his arm and watching the performance with wide eyes. She got some confused looks from the audience members down below, but she was too happy to care about them.

And now, it was intermission.

She scrolled through the lobby of the theatre, her arm linked with Will’s. Her eyes landed on a large plate of tiny, delicious-looking chocolate cupcakes.

She couldn’t help herself.

She let go of the bard, dashed over to the seemingly endless table of food, and popped one of the tasty cupcakes in her mouth, savoring it’s wonderful taste.

And that’s where everything went wrong.

When she turned around, Will was nowhere to be seen.

She scurried around for a few moments, her head turning in every possible direction in an attempt to find him, but it was like he’d disappeared into thin air.

Then, something clicked in her head, and it was like a pile of bricks had been dropped on her back.

She noticed the chocolate on her face, and then she noticed that all the wealthy, snobby theatre-goers that surrounded her were glaring at her and whispering into one another’s ears, and all of a sudden the room got so _loud,_ and she cupped her hands over her ears because _it was so dreadful_ and Will was gone because he was tired of putting up with her and he only stayed around for so long because he pitied her, and the room was just so _loud make it stop please someone make it stop-_

She dashed out of the lobby, up the stairs, and back into her small little booth.

She didn’t remember much from those few torturing minutes, other than the aching of her head from her own fists pounding against it, her sobs bouncing off of the walls, and a feeling of misery so strong it felt like it was killing her.

“...Portia?”

She looked up.

”I’m sorry, Will.”

Large arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her against the chest of the bard.

”Don’t be, my sweet. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No!” Portia protested, pushing herself out of his grip. “You hate me! I know you do!”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Will asked sympathetically, titling his head.

”You’re getting tired of me, and soon you’re gonna throw me out and leave me to fend for myself and then I’m gonna have to live with my father again and end up dead in a river somewhere!”

Portia’s whole body shook with heavy breaths as she stared at the floor, not having the courage to look Will in the eyes after spitting all those words at him.

”Look at me.”

He put his hand under her chin and lifted it up so her eyes were looking directly into his.

”You are the most precious thing to me, and I would never, ever throw you out. And I’m so, so terribly sorry for leading you to believe that I would do such a thing. I’ll care for you as long as you need me to, I promise.”

Portia immediately threw herself against him, bawling her eyes out. He pulled her into an embraced.“It’s okay, darling.” He whispered, his voice cracking. “You’re going to be alright...”

And within five minutes, she was. Well, sort of.

Will had noticed her sobs had resolved themselves into whimpers. “What do you want to do?” He asked.

”I want to finish the show.” She responded, a flare in her voice. She pulled open the velvet curtains, and sat down in her seat.

Will joined her in the spot next to her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He wrapped one arm around her, and pressed an gentle, platonic kiss to the crown of her head.

”I am so, so proud of you.” He whispered.

Portia smiled just as the spotlights started to dim.

For once, she felt strong.


End file.
